Letter: Politicians need to cut spending

Provocation incites people to undertake a variety of actions. The lingering subject of taxes stirred me to vow not to vote for any tax increase or bond until government at all levels undertakes certain measures.

When government decides it wants more funds, which is an ongoing desire, it simply devises a scheme to tax people further.

I have yet to hear any politician confess the size of government with all its employees, salaries, perks, benefits and pensions are entirely out of sight, especially when compared to the private sector. Amazingly, they make no effort to cut back.

I'm assuming we're all pretty familiar with the pay and benefits of our government employees, so there's no point in repeating. I will cite just a few examples. A recent news item mentioned a highway patrolman retiring with a pension of $175,000. Full-fledged teachers earn about $70,000 per year. Not bad for some nine months of work. University professors are paid about $81,500.

Onto another avenue, in 2011, the federal government made a loan to the postal system in the amount of $15 billion. Yes, you read those figures right — billions. That's our money, which introduces the question — will it be paid back?